Monday was a bank holiday, but the kids were at school, so I thought I'd treat myself to a longish cycle ride! The forecast was a bit mixed, but looked better first thing in the morning. My planned route took me up to Dollar, then down to Alloa and back along the Forth to home, 60km.
Unfortunately the weather didn't hold and it got quite wet when I arrived in Dollar.
I arrived home cold and slightly disappointed that it wasn't the fun cycle I had planned! But still, some good steady-state cardio. Hopefully it doesn't impact my Z3 run on Tuesday morning too much.
But the suffering on the ride did make me think about my planned 50 mile run.
My big hope for the run is that I can enjoy it, it might not be "laugh a minute fun", but still I hope there is joy in it. I'm not doing it for some sort of cathartic suffering.
I'm a bit worried that if the weather turns bad, or my fitness isn't quite right, or I have some sort of niggle, I'm just not going to get the enjoyment I want from it. And what will that mean for my motivation to complete it?
The best I can do is be well prepared, be fit and strong enough, but also be experienced enough in all conditions that I can expand my own personal "enjoyment envelope". The challenge is as much mental as it is physical.
#running #runningtraining #runningmotivation #sportspsychology